Car-co upling



A. B. MILLER. Gar Coupling.

No. 233,000. Patented Oct. 5,1880.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

1? NliTElUJ dramas A'TENT tries.

AUGUSTINE B. MILLER, OF SAUMSVILLE, VIRGINIA.

CAR=COUPLENG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,000, dated October 5, 1880.

Application filed February 7, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTINE B. MILLER, of Saumsville, in the county ofShen-andoah and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin GarUouplcrs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore car-couplers adapted to automatically couple cars have been made with a drawbolt whose arrow-head is provided with oppositely curved inclines, and whose shank is formed with an annular butt, said butt being provided with a weighted arm projecting through a lateral opening in the corresponding draw-head, and provided with a cord to raise the arm and thereby turn the draw-bolt when it is desired to uncouple the cars.

My invention consists in the specific means hereinafter described and claimed, the object of which is to provide an efficient and durable construction to accoinplislrthe general purpose required of automatic car-couplers.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section, showing the annular butt and lever-connections in end elevation. Fig. 3 is a view, part section and part side elevation,showing the parts in position as the bolt is entering the opposite draw-head.

The draw-bolt A has its arrow-head formed, respectively, on its upper and lower sides or faces with the oppositely-curved inclines a.

The inner end of the bolt is formed with an annular butt, B, which fits in a corresponding opening, 0, made in its respective draw-head. This butt has end bearing against shoulders b, formed in said openin This draw-head has an open side, as shown, which permits the draw-bolt to be placed in position and withdrawn from the same, so that, if desired, thisdraw-bolt may be readily removed from the drawhcad or replaced therein for anypurposc.

A lever, D, projects laterally from the annular butt of the bolt, and works freelyin a vertical plane within the opening formed in the side of the drawhead. To the projecting end of this lever is jointed the arm E, adapted to have verticall y-swin gin gmovement, and which has fastened to its free end a weight, F. A fastening device, 0, is secured to this jointed arm, by which a cord, G, or its equivalent, provides connection of said arm with the top, side, or other suitable point of a car, thus per mitting the coupling to be uncoupled by the operator standing at any suitable point. The bottom of the opening in the draw-head is made with a downwardly and outwardly pro jectiug incline, (I, the counterpart of the angular section cl of the lever D,-

This construction permits the lever to depend practically in vertical line from the drawbolt when in normal position, and as the weighted arm is loosely connected to the lever it also assumes a vertical position.

When cars are to be coupled and the arrowhead of the draw-bolt strikes the opposing draw-head, said bolt is turned quickly on its longitudinal axis and the weighted arm swings upward. The lever strikes the top of its lateral opening in the draw-head with less force than it would if the weighted arm were rigidly connected to it. The movement of the bolt is first transmitted to the lever, and the latter moves as a part of the bolt. The swinging arm does not move with the rapidity and force of the rigid lever, but follows with a more mod-- erate movement, and its tendency is to maintain practically a vertical position while being thus raised. When it is desired to uncouple the cars this swinging arm is first raised out of its vertical position by means of the cord or other connecting device secured to it. When it is raised sufiiciently .to serve as a leverage it raises lever D, thereby causing the bolt to be readily turned. Thelever is secured to the side of the butt of the bolt at a point thereon, so that the arrow-head of said bolt has its greatest dimension normally in a vertical plane. The curved inclines on the arrowhead, as the latter comesin engagement with the bell-mouth of any ordinary form of opposing draw-head, cause said arrow-head to be deflected or rotated so as to place its widest part in a horizontal plane. The arrow-head, therefore, en

ters its connecting draw-head in horizontal 10o position, but immediately after entrance it is caused to resume its normal vertical position.

and the cars are automatically coupled together.

When the cars are to be uncoupled, by drawing on the cord or its equivalent, G, the weighted swinging arm is raised, the bolt is rotated, and the arrow-head is maintained in horizontal position as it is withdrawn from its respective drawhead.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with draw-bolt A and lever D, of arm E, pivoted to the end of the lever, to have independent vertically-swinging movement, and weight F, secured to the arm, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with draw-bolt A and lever D, provided with angular section 61, of

arm E, pivoted to the end of the lever, and weight F, secured to said arm, substantially 20 as set forth.

3. The combination, with the drawhead provided with lateral opening 0 and incline 6?, extending laterally downward therefrom, and draw-bolt A, provided with butt B, of lever D, having angular section 6 secured to the side of the butt, arm E, pivoted to the extremity of the lever, and weight F, secured to the free end of the arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 30 have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of January, 1880.

AUGUSTINE B. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

HAMPTON BORDEN, ABRAHAM BAUSERMAN. 

